Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-12-22
ALLAN QUARTERNAIN.
Oh
A BROWNING CITY


of fury, the Zulu gathered himself together
and sprang straight at Nasta's throat, as
have sometimes seen wounded lion
spring He struck him full as his foot was
on the topmoSt stair, and his long arms
closing round him like bands, down they
rolled together struggling furlOusly. NaSJa
was q strong man and a desperate, but he
could not match the strongest man i'll Zu-
1uland, sore wounded though he was,
whose strength was rs the strength of a
bull. In q minute the end came. / saw
old UmSlop0gaaS Stagger TO his feet-ay,
and saw him by a single gigantic effort
swing up the struggling NaSta and with a
shout Of triumph hurl him straight over
the parapet of the bridge, to be crushed tC
powder on the rocks two hundred feet be-
low
The succor who had been summoned by
the girl who had passed down the stair be-
fore the aSSasSlnS passed up was at hand
and the loud shouts which reached us from
the outer gates told us that the town was
also aroused, and the men awakened by
the women were calling to be admitted.
Some &C Nyleptha's brave ladies, who in
their night-shifts and with their long hair
streaming down their backs, just as they
had been aroused from rest, had worked
so calamity at blocking the passage through
the wall, went off to admit them at the
side entrance, whilst others, assisted by
the rescung party outside, pushed and
placed there with so much labor.
Soon the wall was down again, and
through the doorway, followed by a crowd
of rescuers, staggered old UmSlopOgaas,
an awful and, in way, glorious figure.
The man was q mass of wounds, and a
glance at his wild eye told me that he was
dying. The ''keshla" gum-ring upon his
head was severed in two places by sword
cuts, one just over the curious hole in his
skull, and the blood poured down his face
from the gashes. Also on the right side of
his neck was q stab from a spear, inflicted
by AgOn; there was a deep cut on his left
arm Just below where the mail shirt sleeve
stopped, and on the right side of his body
the armOr was severed by q cash six inches
long, where Nasta's mighty sword had bit
ten through it and deep into its wearer's
yitalS.
On, axe in hand, he staggered, that
notwithstanding splendid savage, and the
ladies forgot to turn faint at the scene of
blood, and cheered him, as we'll they
might, but he never stayed or heeC&d.
With OutStretched arms and lettering gait
he pursued his way, followed by us all
along the broad shell-strewn walk that ran
through the courtyard, past the spot where
the blocks of marble lay, through the
round arched doorway and the thick cur
tains that hung within it, down the short
passage and into the great hall, which was
now filing with hastily armed men. who
up the hall he went, leaving behind him
a track Of blood on the marble pavement,
till at last he reached the sacred stone,
which stood in the center of it, and here
his strength seemed to fail him, for he
stopped and leaned upon his ak. Then
suddenly he lifted up his voice and cried
aloud:
Il die, [ debut it was a kingly fray.
Where are they who came up the great
stair? see them not. Art thou tn re,
Macumazahn, or art thou gone before to
wait for me in the dark whittier 60? The
blood blinds me-the place turns round
l hear the voice of waters"
Next, as though a new thought had
struck him, he lifted the red AK and kissed
the blade.
Farewell, Inkosikaasi," he cried. "Nay,
nay, we Will go together; we cannot part,
thou and |. We have lived too long one
with another, thou and /.
"One more stroke, only one! A good
stroke! a straight stroke! strong stroken'
and drawing himself to his full height,
with q wild, Notwithstanding shout, he with
both hands began to Whirl the ak round
his head till it looked like a circle of fam
ing steel. Then, suddenly, with awful
force, he brought it down straight onto the
crown of the mass of sacred stone. A
shower of sparks flew up, and such was
the almost Superhuman strength of the
blow, that the mass Of marble split with a
rending sound into a score of pieces, whilst
of InkOSikaasi there remained but some
fragments OF steel and q fibrOuS rope CO
shattered horn that had been the handle
Down with a crash onto the pavement fell
the fragments of the holy stone, and down
with crash onto them, still grasping the
knob of lnkosikaasi, fell the brave old Zulu
dead! And thus the hero died.
A gasp of wonder and astOnishmeDtrCse
from ali those who witnessed the extra
ordinary sight and then somebody cried,
bp pNl., no ho.,
shattered the sacred stonen' and at once a
murmurlnS arose.
cay" said Nyleptha, with that quick
wit which distinguishes her. "Ay, my
people, he has shattered the stone, ard be-
hold the prophecy is fulfilled, for strGng-
er king rules in Zu-VendiS. Incubu, my
lord, hath beat SOrais back, and [ fear her
no more, and to him who hath saved the
crown it shall surely be. And this man,
she said, turning to me and laying her
hand upon my shoulder, ''wot We that.
though wounded in the fight of yesterday,
he rode, with that old warrior who lies
there. one hundred miles 'tWiXt sunset and
rise to save me from the plots of cruz.
men. Ay, and he has saved me- by q very
little, and, therefore, because of the deeds
that they have dOne-deedS Of glory such
as our history cannot show the ike-there-
fore say that the name of MacumaZahn
and the name of dead Umslopogaas, ay,
and the name OF Kara, my servant, who
aided him to hold the stair, shall be blaz-
oned in letters Of gold above my throne,
and shall be glorious forever while the land
endures. I, the Queen. have said it."
This spirited speech was met with loud
cheering, and | said that after all we had
only done our duty, as it is the fashion of
both Englishmen and Zulus to do, and
there was nothing to make an cutlery about;
at which they cheered still more, and then
was supported across the outer courtyard
to my old quarters, in order that I might
be put to bed. AS l went, my eyes lit upon
the brave horse Daylight that lay there,
his white head outstretched on the pave
ment, exactly as he had fallen on entering
the yard and babe those who supported
me take me near him, that [ might look
on the good beast once more before he was
dragged away And as 1 looked, to my
establishment he opened his eyes and. lift
ing his head a little, whinnied family. /
could have shouted for Joy to find that he
was not dead, only unfortunately | had
not a shout left in mo; but as it was,
grooms were sent for and he was lifted UP
and wine poured down his throat, and in a
fortnight he was as well and strong as
ever, and is the pride and joy OF all the
people of N1ilosis who whenever they see